Joint Press Release of the Third ASEAN - EC Ministerial Meeting
London, 13-14 October 1981

  1. The Foreign Ministers of the Member States of the European Communities reaffirmed the EC's commitment to ASEAN - EC Cooperation as contained in the 1978 Brussels joint Declaration and the 1980 Kuala Lumpur Joint Declaration respectively. They reiterated their commitment to support ASEAN's endeavours towards closer regional cooperation and the economic developments of the ASEAN region. They therefore requested the Commission of the European Communities to look into the possibility of providing more favourable treatment to the ASEAN region.

  2. The Ministers agreed to cooperate constructively in international fora on commodities and to support specific commodity agreements. In this context, the ASEAN Ministers urged the Member States of the European Communities to ratify the International Natural Rubber Agreement and to sign and ratify the 6th international Tin Agreement as soon as possible.

  3. The Ministers had a general exchange of views on the world economic situation particularly on the results of the Ottawa Summit. in the context of the North-South Dialogue, they also discussed prospects for the Mexico Summit and expressed their hope for a successful outcome to give meaningful progress to the global negotiations and the establishment of the New international Economic Order.

  4. On international trade, they expressed their mutual concern over the increasing protectionist measures adopted by various countries and called for a rejection of such a policy. On the Community's efforts to settle its bilateral trade problems with developed countries, ASEAN Ministers were assured that in the process ASEAN's export will not be directly or indirectly affected nor would the EC's trade policies or regulations towards developing countries.

  5. In reviewing progress and developments of Cooperation within the framework of the Cooperation Agreement, the Ministers reaffirmed their genuine and sincere desire to give impetus and substance to the implementation of the Cooperation Agreement. In this connection, the ASEAN Foreign Ministers urged the Foreign Ministers of the Member States of the European Communities to take all necessary actions to expedite approval of the separate budget line in the budget of the European Communities for 1982 with a specified proportion allocated for the implementation of the Cooperation Agreement signed between the EC and ASEAN. The Foreign Ministers of the Member States of the European Communities reiterated their support for ASEAN industrial cooperation and agreed to encourage further and assist financial institutions in EC Member States e.g. the Grouping of the Community's Public Development Finance Institutions (INTERACT) and the European Investment Bank (EIB), in securing funds for ASEAN Industrial Projects.

  6. The Foreign Ministers agreed that the EC avoid any possible negative effects of enlargement of the Community on the economies of the ASEAN countries.